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Issue 1465
Welcome to another edition of RV Travel’s Daily Tips newsletter. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and living tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, tips on our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.
If you shop on Amazon, please click here to visit through our affiliate site (we get a little commission that way – and you don’t pay any extra). Thank you!
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Today’s thought
“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” ―Henry David Thoreau
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Doughnut Day!
On this day in history: 1895 – George B. Selden is granted the first U.S. patent for an automobile.
Tip of the Day
Water gadgets you need for your RV
By Russ and Tiña De Maris
If you’ll be camping in a park with “city water ” – that is, water from a faucet – there are some good accessories to keep in your RV storage compartment. These can make your visit easier – even safer – for your rig. They’re inexpensive and you’ll be glad you have them when you need them. Continue reading.
Do you have a tip? Submit it here.
Today’s RV review…
Today’s RV review…
In today’s column, industry insider Tony Barthel reviews the Northwood Arctic Fox 25W travel trailer. The Arctic Fox is a comfortable, well-designed trailer that will suit many campers year-round. Learn more.
Did you read Tony’s review yesterday of the Happier Camper HC1 travel trailer? If you missed it, you can read it here.
For previous RV reviews, click here.
NEW: Sign up for our new Facebook Group, RV reviews. We post a link to Tony’s reviews there every day as well as other reviews and videos.
Forget buying a portable generator!
Use your car or RV engine to generate clean 110 power with a CarGenerator™. It’s cheaper, more reliable, and so light even a child can lift it. Use to power your RV accessories, and recharge batteries for continued use of CPAP machines, etc. Perfect supplement to solar on cloudy days. At home, use for backup power when the power grid goes down. Learn more.
Is this your RV?
If it’s yours and you can prove it to us (send a couple of photos for comparison), tell us here by 9 p.m. Pacific Standard time today, Nov. 5, 2020. If it’s yours you’ll win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
If this isn’t your RV, send us a photo of your RV here, for a chance to win in future issues.
We’ll have another photo in tomorrow’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter (sign up to receive an email alert so you don’t miss the issue or those that follow). Some of these photos are submitted by readers while others were taken by our editors and writers on their travels around the USA.
Would you pay 68 cents every hour for 20 years to buy an RV?
That’s what thousands upon thousands of people are paying right now — and even double or triple that! — just to afford an RV. Is this crazy? Chuck Woodbury gives you a lot to think about when he analyzes RV financing. This is very worthwhile and interesting reading, especially if you’re considering financing a new RV! Learn a lot here.
Yesterday’s featured article: Trailer-towing nightmares revealed
Reader poll
How many U.S. states in the “Lower 48” have you visited with an RV?
Count, then tell us here.
Quick Tip
Water pressure regulator tips
Water pressure varies from campground to campground. Some have in excess of 100 pounds per square inch pressure. Modern rigs are designed for less than 50. If you do not use a water pressure regulator, you could rupture an interior water hose. Believe me – you do not want to clean up after that, not to mention the expense of a very difficult repair.
Most folks don’t know the difference between pressure and flow, but you should in order to understand the difference. “Flow” is a measure of volume of water delivered in a period of time, usually measured in gallons per minute or gpm. The poor shower is caused by low flow, as are most other RV water supply problems. “Pressure” is a measure of the force of the water, and it is measured when no water is flowing (“static” pressure). It is measured in pounds of pressure per square inch or psi. RV plumbing systems in an RV fresh water system are generally tested to a pressure of 100 to125 pounds per square inch (psi); but to prevent warranty problems, RV manufacturers may recommend only 40-50 psi. Unfortunately, this may not provide the shower you’re looking for.
Most house plumbing operates at about 60 psi, and this can be adequate for RVs, too. The cheaper (under $10) pressure regulators are really water flow restrictors, and you will notice the restriction when you have to dance around under the shower to get wet. The best way to go is with an adjustable water pressure regulator with a pressure gauge so you know what water pressure is entering your rig. There will be an adjusting screw to raise or lower the pressure. I set ours between 45 and 50 pounds per square inch (psi.) Get one of these, available at RV parts stores or on-line. You’ll be glad you did. —From So, You Want To Be an RVer? And Enjoy the RV Lifestyle? [Revised] Available on Amazon.
Afraid of water damage in your RV? You need this!
This essential water damage tool helps home and RV owners measure moisture content in wood, concrete drywall, and subflooring. Use the pin sensors to find the moisture content in your home. The easy-to-read LCD display will help you know if you need to dry the existing materials or replace with brand-new ones, and can be used as a water leak detector after flood damage. You’ll want to buy this here.
Website of the day
Archive of National Parks maps
See a century of national park maps from the National Geographic archives. If you have a good cup of coffee or tea by your side, sit back and time-travel through some of our favorite American places.
And the Survey Says…
We’ve polled RVtravel.com readers more than 1,500 times in recent years. Here are a few things we’ve learned about them:
• 52 percent prefer 50 amps when hooking up to electricity
• 7 percent bet money and play games at casinos every few months
• 36 percent put soap on their hands before wetting them when washing their hands
Trivia
Like s’mores? You can thank the Girl Scouts for that! The 1927 Girl Scouts manual featured the very first recipe for s’mores.
*Yesterday we told you a funny fact about the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Read it here.
Eliminate hose crimping at the faucet!
Sometimes it’s a real pain hooking up your hose to a faucet or to your RV. This Camco flexible hose protector is the answer. Its easy gripper makes attaching the hose effortless. It’s compliant with all federal and state low-level lead laws, too. Every RVer should have one or two of these. Super low price, too. Learn more or order.
Readers’ Pet of the Day
“This is Zorro, our RVing Pomeranian. He is 13 years old and loves to go.” —Susan Wilkins
Send us a photo of your pet with a short description. We publish one each weekday in RV Daily Tips and in our Saturday RV Travel newsletter.
Leave here with a laugh
A guy in a taxi wanted to ask the driver a question so he leaned forward and tapped him on the shoulder. The driver screamed in fright, jumped and yanked the steering wheel over. The car went up over the curb, demolished a light pole and came to a stop inches from a shop window. The startled passenger said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The taxi driver said, “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. You see, this is my first day as a cab driver. I’ve been driving a hearse for the past 25 years.”
Did you miss the latest RV Travel Newsletter? If so, read it here.
Oh, and if you missed the latest Sunday News for RVers, make sure to catch up here.
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RV Daily Tips Staff
Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Editor: Emily Woodbury. Senior editor: Diane McGovern. Social media and special projects director: Jessica Sarvis. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
This website utilizes some advertising services. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless of this potential revenue, unless stated otherwise, we only recommend products or services we believe provide value to our readers.
Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
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This newsletter is copyright 2020 by RVtravel.com
Hi there, its Jonathan from CarGenerator.com. My apologies, today for the first time in years, our website ground to a halt and I’m very sorry for that. Over the last several years we’ve grown 10x, ten times, and this is part of the growing pains. Our web team was on the phone with GoDaddy tech and after several hours got it resolved. It’s all back up and running again. Watch in the next 7-10 days – we are launching our brand-new website completely updated and on the Shopify platform so it will be very fast and reliable. CarGenerator is very much in business, well funded, and will be in business for a long time to come. I ran a tech company for 20 years before this and sold it, and then created this new product that is transforming the RV camping and backup power industry. Thanks again for all your goodwill and enthusiastic support for our product. Have an awesome day and see you on the road.
Thanks for the update, Jonathan! And good luck with your new website. Can’t wait to check it out! Have a good night. 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com
I am amazed at the responses concerning the CarGenerator. I have watched discussions concerning Solar, 6 volt vs 12 volt vs wet/agm/Lithium batteries. Portable generators, wind power, etc. Then, a guy engineers a way to utilize an inverter as an optional power source (brilliant in my opinion) and people discount it. In my view, it is a readily available, emergency power source, no need to bring extra fuel, no additional batteries, can be connected during any type of weather AND provide 110 power. I looked into the many things they resolved in their design, weather resistant case, doesn’t overheat, doesn’t scratch vehicle paint job, security design (theft), to name a few. I just think of it as a great optional power source for any emergency.
Thanks, BadWolfe. For anyone who missed electrical expert Mike Sokol’s 4-part series on “Boondocking power requirements,” there is information about the CarGenerator in them, as well as an explanation about it from Jonathan Schloo, the owner of CarGenerator, in Part 4. At the bottom of Part 4 are links to the first three parts of that series. Here’s the link to Part 4: https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electricity-boondocking-power-requirements-part-4/ I don’t know … sounds like a no-brainer to me. 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com
I don’t think I want to idle my engine for 50-60 hrs to power a CPAP. My APAP (Adjustable Press.) ran on 12V with a power supply for 120V. I used it in the sleeper compartment of the semi I drove. Idling is the worst thing you can do on an engine, and the price, you can buy a 2000 watt inverter generator at Harbor Freight for several hundred dollars less that will do more. Their ad says you can charge your RV
batteries with it then tell how little gas your compact car is going to use. I think they need to change ad company’s as I don’t think very many people tow their RVs with compact cars. Lol
I love the laugh of the day! I had experience driving a hearse!
Made me think of the Jerry Clower story about the two men from the funeral home in MS that went to pick up a body in AL and stopped to get some supper at a roadside diner.
I know I’ve heard the joke before, but you tell it better.
Bad Link: The link to the CarGenerator story is not working. It takes you to a “There has been a critical error on your website.
Learn more about debugging in WordPress.“
The web site for CarGenerator is “gone” – 500 error.
I would not be surprised it has gone out of business…
Sorry, BadWolfe. It worked when I checked it last night. I tried getting to their website via Google, and that didn’t work either. We’re trying to figure this out. Thanks for letting us know. Take care. 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com
The CarGenerator website is back up, and so our link to it works again. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Thanks Diane. I just wanted to make you aware.
Thanks, BadWolfe! I appreciate that, because otherwise we wouldn’t have known. (Hard to know something needs fixing when the last time I checked it a few hours previously it was working fine. 😉 ) Have a good night. 🙂 —Diane at RVtravel.com
Water Pressure Regulators:
Don’t waste your money on the Valterra A01-1117VP Brass Lead-Free Adjustable Water Regulator. It checks all the boxes for what you need but some of the internal parts are made from poor quality steel. I went through two of these, each one lasted two years before it rusted and failed. It’s worth it to spend the extra money for a Watts 263A-LF Regulator with oil filled Output gauge and an additional Input gauge. They are made with high quality brass and stainless steel. If you get both gauges, you’ll see the campground pressure as well as your regulated pressure going into your plumbing. I’ve been using the Watts rig for four years, problem free.
I wondered why my Valterra adjustable pressure regulator only lasted 3-4 years. Now I know.
Yeah I bought that Valterra regulator…quit working the third trip I used it, felt like I threw three $20 bills in the trash. Went back to the simple in line brass regulator for 8 bucks.
My valtera only lasted 4 months. Came home one afternoon and water was coming out from my hookup cabinet. Opened the door and got a face full. Brass housing had cracked. Fortunately no damage
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National Doughnut Day!
Why are there two National Doughnut Days? The first Friday in June is also National Doughnut Day, along with today, November 5th. I guess you can’t get enough of a good thing!
Possibly endorsed by the PBA? 🤣
Let’s change one to Hawaiian Malasada day!!! mmmmm
First under the Tip of the day you tell us adjustable water pressure regulators don’t work as advertised then under Quick Tip you tell us, “The best way to go is with an adjustable water pressure regulator.” You’re making my brain hurt. I have used both and I definitely prefer the adjustable pressure regulator with a gauge. You can see the pressure you are getting and can adjust it. However, you have to ensure it is physically oriented as per the manufacturers instructions and don’t buy a cheap one. With a non adjustable type you have no idea what pressure you are putting into your RV. You simply have to trust the manufacturer that it is working appropriately. Also generally speaking, the max water pressure in an RV can be set at 50 PSI for older rigs and 60 PSI for the newer trailers and motorhomes. That’s what they’re designed for.
Why can’t you just lower the water pressure by reducing the water coming from the water spigot?
You obviously didn’t read the part about the difference between pressure and flow. Go back and spend a minute or two and re-read.
Another nice assist are the ‘snap in’ type hose connectors. Eliminates trying to connect the water hose after a day on the road.
I also use J.R. Wright’s enlarged knob on the water hose. Makes it a whole lot easier to get a tight connection.
That tip about the dial style pressure regulator is spot on!! We have a tankless water heater and it didn’t work when we tried the flow restrictor. Replace with a gauge pressure regulator, and we have hot showers and clean dishes. That translates to very happy wife.